A Soldier, A Prelate, And A King

Toward tho end of the sixteeQth century, a combmakor, Alborto Mustui, of Bicscis, with vhom the world did not go well, went to live ut Hiuijjalia. Fortuno smiled ou bim iu bis utiv home; tbo eomb ma'.er fiourished, and bociame so rich that be obtaiued the liatid af young lady of fortuno uamud Forutti, and ut tho nam lime tliu rank of Count. vSuch 8 thü origin of tho house of MastaiFerctti. Qirolamo Masiai-Feretli, descondid frora the latler, marriod a daugiiter uf Uodiit CHlaazi' and the íspuo oí th8 marriage in Giun-Muna Mustai, boru in 1792, now Pin IX. Froiu his infiincy be nemi to havy boeu wonk, Bubjot to epifóptiïs fits, and difficult to mansge. When i boy, be wil Hont l the cilagüfct Voltcira, presided ovüi' Ly ihö Icarned Uütionoiner, Iniihira-r.tt ; but hij r.In iirii-j inijispoition did uut pevniit hiiu to derivo niuch advuuttie from that sest of loar: On rerturniag home, bowever, his healtíi ! trrojitly improved, and as begrew Ntronger, ie :(in;:ili t.iod a kuün doirn tü enter the uruiy. To iit binia-lf for tiii-i pi-jfeMioD, ho devoted niuch lime toatliloiic íxeroiseg, and sku liecume renmilial ' For bla w'htary baari;. Those familar with tha appcarancy of Piai IX., as sean in fct. l'eter'g, r tho Sistii.e, wiil scaiooly le p:op.rod to in-ar that ia lid vouth li w.;s uulöd f(r his dandy Jn-as, appeuring nlways iu a ty uniform, weariu boots and spurs, aud beklom tteen witbout a cigar iu bis mouth. iiüiuor V6ïy biiiidsoiui! withal, u tülerablo poot aud fj'iyU njUBÍciao, be soon becaiae au objoot of adiuiiMtiuii to many, and of affectiou to w-me girls ; but, althnugh moro than ono lovcd liim, lie aiiuod higii and suugbt the hand of Kloini, diqghter ui friaoe Aibaui. Tbis iaJj, vvlio u uuid to liavo been extreiiiuly beauliiul, at first enuouraged youug Maaai, but uvbutuaily married ihe (Joloncj of' a regiment uuanored at Siuga!IUj wlium bliu wiu iu tba baliit of met ing frt'inieutly at tle reunioua iu hur í tino!' a uuiisa. The dis'ippOiutiuaut &j so aiivore'y fult ly tbe jreuog mau, that, to uüeïiato bis misery, l.e pmugud iuto dissipütimi, drauk deuply, and gamb ud largely, About tbis jtiuoturo Napoleon' uareer bad leruiiaated. Piu VIL returued to lioiao, and public aöars boiaii to ftïtocne u triiutjuil pbao. Aouurdingly, young Mastai, wbo wag leailing a Liy unsottled life, was sont to Home, ïbero two of Iiím uuclta resided, wbo, it vtig belioved, vvoru iu a posiúoü to b of ervicj to bim. Arriviusí iu the capital, lio tmsraged a cry liumblu apitrtiucnt, hid ullowance teing only h few pouuds a month. üvertLeiens, so fusoiuating ware Lis uuuut'iti, mui so buudsowe hia persou, i.t he soon leoamo one ot' the njost 'aBliionabloyoaug men in Rome, and uo MgüOFl nobiudiu irtui cuy. ■ x rntP ossful plaver at thu card tibie hid win[uii euabled hiin to iive in a mannor lt made him tha euvy of less fiirtuuato oiiUih, and lcJ to Iüvu advoutures not rot eutiroly f'orgottcu in Rotes. liut, ihuug!) young M.ist;ii was weli pleaeed with thu lifs he was leadiug, it was f'ar fjom satisfyiiii; his paroniH, who uaturully desired to etc thüir ou otablished in sume honorable proí'ossion. Acoordingiy, uu the milituiy spirit atili burned stroaly in Gimi-Maria, au utteinpt was made to satisfy it, to boiuo oxtsut at loft, by placing biuj in thu Guardia Nobile, which had bceu I lihed iuiuiediately aftor tlio ContrresB of Vieona II b interest was Bullieiuutly great to causa nica, te Lo enrolied as a c:iuúidite for oduiisiou to tho óorp, bat ti represeutation huving been muda ti) tiie Seoretary of Slate tbat he wns subjdot to opilaptio fut), hits nwna as removed from the list of cuudidi-'OB, &ud ho was advised thnt he imist not hope to be a Guardia Nobile. Tho iutelligeuce oyurwhalrjed biui with soriow, h.sspiiits became depresscd ; a duugcroiw ilincss suporvened, on his reuövery irom which - due, as his biographers declare, lo tho interueísioii of the Üiessed Viigiu - he deteriiiiiied ou duvuting his life to ihu cause of rttlig.ou. Tliere aro mauy still liviug in llonie ho remuniber the suddeu and e.Uraordinary chunga iu young Madtai. DisOardiog bis fasbiouable costume, the icat boot and olanking spur gave place to tliick uhoes, tiio laced coat to a blauk soutane, fUid the jaunty step to a rueasured walk, witb bent head and downc-.ast eyis. At tbis poriod Mastai was tweuty-four yasirn oid. Hard utudy lo!lowed, aud üudiiig that ths, toqgh pushed to excess, did oot iaipiir bi8 h ,.-all),but rather impi'oved it - aoliango due ui'jie prouably t au abatowioua 1,1e - be OODOiv-'d tlmtGud cspesially oaiiea iiim to tha work of priest-booJ, and haviüg obtalne tho nocessary moOical pciiiiisiicin ti enter tho ohurob, be wws nr.J.ii.i -d HU rêligioui Böal now rapiiily uufuided Eii'iowcd witb a n; ciiiiariy liuo voioo, wU roiaumbered by tlioae who have b;td the p!ei;-ure of hearing bim read' tbe iiffiua iu St. Petèr'i or thü Siiiine Cbpel, ba studied oloouuon, praetiood preaobing extoiupore, and sóon acijuiied 6ucb a mastery of language as to draw vast, crowd.s wbeuever he a8oeaded tb pulpit, lio wu particularlv brilliant iu his fervorini- short impnssioned disoourses, süch as you My Lear during holy week ;it ihe Crt.su - aud eunied liis oóngregtflidn entiroly wittí lám. Woiimii wliü had admired Mart ui as a youüi of ttisliiou uow bung uu iiis worda, and liuil ruuud hii ücuiu-stoual ; Btroqg-miudöd mei;, too, bcu;r: e weak fcefóre fiiui. fJf he ïboók their Boula by liis ptotare8 bf'thè tèriofs in store for ihe wiuK.'d, .sÍií:ü1uÚüü;_ pur tor. tal flamea by pluuging ia huuó.s i, buining gpuits. But, gratifyiug ft all this was, tlie vouthful pii'eát sighöd fór moro active oacupalion uud a mure extensivo e.licro ; of U6eiulnea. Au opportuuity was nó.t longwanVmg. Pius VII. baving dooided on senótog :i pöliliwwelijpótf mbion t" DuH ' i I plievl tO hú :.,'■ pomto 1 Bcoietary, and BUOQöfid . t tiu wilí of bis family, 'm obtaining ilio appnintmHBt. Tlio mid-si'iu, ' fceaded by tho UisLo of Civita de (J tullo, after a long anl liazanlous voyage, arrivecj at Buouos Ayres. Tlio jirurney (cnn tliut ciiv to Chili was atteuded with grwrt Buffefing, but, ulttiouli tlio missiOD uutlcrwöut uiany pciils, they wore piqduo'.Í79 of co pthijr oífect on the secrctary than tbat of eau ing kim to dei:e to remain iu the coun try; ouo reuson üoubtluas buiug that bis health, so fsr frooi bcing iiapaired by tho haidships and eümato, was simply ameüoruted. Indeed db bas bcan hemd more ilmn odco to say that he (ever enjorod botter health thuu duriog tiii.s f.onod of hia lifa ; aud so entirely did he oijter into the spirit of tho úñder j that whon liis chiof, discoiiraged by the lil succjps attontüiig his eflíorta to conyert the natives, deteriniotid on returnlog to Eorope, Masiai was lor reroainug in Chili at ali hazards, preferriug evo poBsible uiartyrdom to (tbndoi tog himsolf ) Maitai's return to Europe, Leo XII. fi.L-d the pODtifiea] th-ouo. Th is pontiff. uat'irally CQt:iu3i;irt'io aud encrgetio, testitied his appreciation of MasIJÜ'ü oonduot by crcutiiig him Archbishop of Spoleto. Wnen Gn-gory XVI. ad&URieil the tiara, ha wi,8 remov'ii gpoleto, and crcateJ Cardinal aud Bisüop of Impla, ïüough Jlastai'ri cirly liie wal not by any meuus uncvetitíu!, yat tl'tí líotuaue kuew vtíiy litio of him uutil he was elevaiül tij the tiara In gratffu! retuem braiica of ihu kindnesg of I'jís VII. ho iissumed lhüuas of -Ik Kuch, ia outliiio, yvas tho early life of the gr at high priest of Hooie- a man v,-:;;:, ;t.a he ascended tiio Papal tl) f me, was hailud by the liberal purty ui li a ftesüy oí' on tiiusiasm, but wlio boud, by bis policy, beoaue the uhatDpioo of tTltramoütaiuisui. In juttiüe, however, kt it bu adJed that 1'iusIX. inherited ;iu aecumulatioo of diffioultiea, postponed aiJ com .:;c;.;ted b bis prodeoessora.